


We’re all Heros Sometimes

by galaxygaydreams



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Drabble, Friendship, Gen, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Savage, One Shot, Writing Exercise, adrien needs to work on self confidence issues, and i love her, fuck customers, hints at secret identities, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 03:26:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxygaydreams/pseuds/galaxygaydreams
Summary: As the man continued to rave at full volume Adrien felt his disgust for the man and anger over how he was treating Marinette grow. Still, he said nothing. Adrien found confrontation difficult in his civilian form, and as much as he wanted to help, he feared just making the situation worse.ORa rude customer is giving Marinette a hard time, but she puts him in his place in the end, and Adrien gains some new admiration for confident, take-no-shit Marinette.





	We’re all Heros Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! Trying to get back into writing and I came across a prompt list where one was "'I’m on the verge of tears because of a rude customer and you step in and stand up for me’ AU" and it got my brain working on this. Obviously not following the prompt fully bc no one ends up crying, but they seem more in character to me this way anyway.
> 
> Un-beated, since this was just a quick writing warm-up for me and I just wanted to upload it as soon as it was done. Let me know if there are any errors!

Adrien grit his teeth as he continued to listen to the customer at the counter berate Marinette over the price of his order. The man was getting louder and louder as he continually cut Marinette off, making everyone else in the bakery uncomfortable.

“Sir,” Marinette tried to calm the man. “I understand you’re upset, but if you’d just wait until the owners come back from a delivery, they determine the price-”

“I will not wait until they come back, I want this handled now! The state of your bakery is ridiculous!” As the man continued to rave at full volume Adrien felt his disgust for the man and anger over how he was treating Marinette grow. Still, he said nothing. Adrien found confrontation difficult in his civilian form, and as much as he wanted to help, he feared just making the situation worse.

Adrien stared down at his feet, fiddling with the button on his overshirt. He really should do something. The angry man didn’t look like he was going to calm down anytime soon, and, catsuit or no, Adrien was a superhero. He should always stand up for people. Not only that, but the person who was in trouble was his friend. But still, the fear of speaking up not as Cat Noir, but as Adrien, filled him with apprehension.

“You know, if you’re so concerned with the price you could go somewhere else,” he muttered, biting his lip.

“Excuse me?!” The man had stopped his shouting, his angry glare pointed now at Adrien, who was surprised the man even heard his quiet complaint. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Marinette's shocked but relieved face, and it made him feel braver. He looked the man in the eye this time as he spoke louder, “If twenty-five euros is really too expensive for you to drop on a box of macarons, you could just go anywhere else in Paris. You’d be doing everyone in this shop a favor.”

Adrien heard a few other eavesdropping customers snicker behind him at the dig as the man in front of him glowered. “How dare you speak to me like that young man. Were you raised with no manners?”

“Were _you_? I don’t know if your definition of manners is different than mine, but I was taught that screaming at strangers is never okay, no matter the circumstances.”

“This young lady is trying to steal from me. I will have you know I’ve been coming to this bakery for _years_ , and I have never paid so much for macarons. I know the owners personally, and I think if they knew that I was being treated this way they would be furious.”

This time a scoff was heard from behind the counter. The once overwhelmed Marinette was now rolling her eyes, arms crossed. “Now that I know for sure is a lie.”

“Oh yeah? And how would you know that?”

“Because the owners are her parents, dumbass.” The man spluttered, attention whipping to Adrien. Adrien himself was surprised and felt a little regretful, his new found confidence had gotten the better of him and would possibly get Marinette in trouble. Calling a customer a dumbass, even if it wasn't _his_ customer, was probably a bad thing to do.

Marinette cleared her throat to get the man's attention directed back at her, leaning forward so she was eye level with him. “Sir, I grew up in this bakery, our prices haven’t changed since I was born. I’m not some new hire you can just push around and get free pastries out of, so I suggest you either pay the full price, or you leave.”

The two had a staring contest, and Adrien and the rest of the store watching them, wide-eyed. Suddenly, the man made a grab for the box of cookies in between them, probably hoping to run out without paying. But Marinette was faster, slamming her hand on top of the box, the loud noise making everyone in the bakery jump.

“If there’s one thing I like less than a liar, it’s a thief. Now, get out of my bakery before I call the police.” Adrien grinned, excited to see this confident side to Marinette that he had yet to experience.

The man slunk out as everyone quickly returned to their browsing, trying to not be caught staring. Adrien turned and grinned at Marinette, who quickly relaxed, clearly relieved to have the man leave the store. “Okay, that was amazing.”

“T-Thanks,” Marinette muttered out quietly, nervously pulling on one of her pigtails.

All the fighting spirit seemed to have left Marinette, who was back to her quiet mouse self, but Adrien was determined to see the confident, take-no-shit side of her again. “Seriously Marinette, the way you are willing to confront people when they are being unfair, it’s really admirable.”

“Well, you stood up to him too. I wouldn’t have been able to stand up to him and get a word in in the first place if it weren't for you.” Marinette shook her head, grinning, “Although, next time? Maybe don't call him a dumbass.”

Adrien smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t really mean for him to hear me when I spoke up the first time, and then my mouth just kind of ran away with me, sorry. I don’t normally confront people at all, but I guess we all have our moments.”

“Yeah, I guess we’re all heroes sometimes.” As soon as the words were out of Marinette's mouth the two locked eyes for a moment, something familiar passing between them, before Marinette looked away, picking up the smashed macaron box. “Do you, um, want a cookie? I accidentally broke them when I hit the box, so we can’t sell them anymore.”

Adrien reached into the box, taking a bite of the smushed cookie as he watched Marinette hand out the treats to the people left in the store. He smiled, realizing that the only thing the rude man from earlier had accomplished with his fit was getting free macarons for everyone but himself.

Leaving more enough cash on the counter to cover for the cost of the box of macarons, Adrien ducked out of the store, considering what Marinette had said. _‘We’re all heroes sometimes.’_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
